


take me back to the night we met

by lovechonis



Category: Legacies (TV 2018), The Originals (TV), The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Angst, Best Friends, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Jealousy, soft!penelope
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-29
Updated: 2018-11-29
Packaged: 2019-09-02 06:14:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16781257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lovechonis/pseuds/lovechonis
Summary: in which penelope park remembers the day the moon shined a little brighter on josie saltzman.





	take me back to the night we met

if you asked penelope park if she had any regrets in life, she would say a hard no — regrets were for cowards, and penelope park was _**not**_ a coward. at least thats what she had told herself repeatedly these days. but as she stood at the end of the main corridor at 12:34 pm precisely, coward was the only word that seemed to describe the brown haired girl. she had stood there many days before, hoping she would be able to catch josie right after she finished gathering her items from class and head to lunch. each time, she would take a peek at her bright smile down the hallway and lose her nerve, quickly fading into the crowd of students before josie could spot her staring. it began to be a daily routine for penelope to do this, knowing she would never get caught for her lingering gaze, until today. 

penelope had decided to wait and extra minute. just one more minute staring longingly at the dark haired girl wouldn't hurt, josie usually spoke with rafael for at least a few minutes before proceeding to lunch anyway. it wouldn't hurt to even have thirty more seconds. what penelope didn't expect was to not see rafael in sight, waiting for josie as he usually did. josie walked out of the classroom, still looking through her assignments from the class before, until she looked up, meeting penelope's gaze. their stares lingered for a moment. penelope felt _embarrassed_. she had been caught, in the dumbest way ever. her mouth gaped as she froze in position for a good ten seconds, no girl saying anything, only holding their gaze. penelope was the first to break, looking away and hustling back to her room, locking the door behind her.

penelope never felt like this — so _**HUMILATED**_. she had been caught by the one person she had actively tried to avoid from this situation. of course she knew other people had noticed before, but no one dared to say anything about penelope park to anyone in the school. they knew the consequences. 

the look on josie's face as she saw penelope gazing at her burned in her mind. she looked shocked, even hurt maybe? normally, penelope could read josie like a book. she had always told josie that she knew her better than she knew herself. a bitter chuckle escaped penelope's lips. she tried to not think about the good parts anymore, just the ending. it hurt too much to think about how they were before. but it's days like these she wants to remember; she wants to remember the smile she would put on her face and the way her laugh sounded when they were in a room alone, how her hand lingered over hers without even trying. penelope laid down on her bed, grabbing her phone and opening up her music app, revealing a playlist that was just titled 'j.' there was only one song penelope loved to listen to on this playlist, but this time listening to it, felt a little different from the rest.

* * *

it was nights like these that penelope wanted to get away. she, of course, knew she really couldn't. so she just went to her spot in the garden outside of the school. night had already fallen and no one was supposed to leave the doors of the school after dark but penelope knew she could get away with it, she had before. sneaking out one of the kitchen doors that lead outside, penelope headed to the garden where her favorite flowers were in bloom. she loved the smell of amaryllis so much that she had sneaked planting them one day when they were expanding the garden earlier. by the time anyone found out, it was too late and they had let her keep it there. she could feel her smile already growing, anticipating to sit next to **her** flowers. that was until she saw someone already there. her eyes widened in surprised. no one ever was there at this time of night. it was almost midnight and everyone was usually already in bed, guess penelope wasn't the only one having a crappy night. she tiptoed closer until she could see who was the silhouette by her flowers. as she got closer, she saw it was none other than josie saltzman. 

penelope had knowing the girl in passing. they had talked briefly before but never in depth, they ran in completely different circles. josie's circle mostly being her sister, mg, and sometimes hope mikaelson. she had never really paid attention to josie but as the moon shined on the girl, she looked different. penelope inched closer, trying to see what the girl was doing out here this late. she could see her staring down at a book, actually writing in it. penelope wondered what she could be saying in that journal of hers. she inched closer one again before _**SNAP!**_

"who's there?!"

"it's just me! penelope park," she assured her, stepping closer.

josie looked up at her, her lips parting at the surprise of seeing anyone else around. why was penelope park here of all places? she didn't seem like the type to hang out with the flowers and embrace the nature. she stood up, "oh, um sorry. did you want this spot? i can just go," she said, gathering her stuff.

"no! no, it's fine. we can both enjoy the garden. there's no dibs on who gets to sit at the garden, right?" penelope placed a hand on her arm, trying to get her to stop from leaving. she didn't know why she wanted her to stay. she didn't seem like bad company, it couldn't be so bad to have someone admire the flowers with her.

"oh. okay, i guess." josie sat down again on her blanket she had laid out on the ground, making room for penelope to sit.

penelope plopped down right next to josie, giving her a brief grin before gazing up at the stars that hovered above them. she cleared her throat, "so i know why i'm here, but why are you here, saltzman?" she took her gaze away from the sky to look at the girl next to her. 

josie hesitated for a moment, letting a small chuckle out. she normally wouldn't talk to anyone about her problems. she usually kept them inside or wrote them down in her journal. in fact, that's what she had been doing before penelope showed up. looking back at her, she felt a strange comfort in her. like she could tell her anything. "my sister is having a moment again. hope and my dad spending so much time together really has her on edge right now. and of course she's mad that i'm not as angry as her about it. its just something i've become used to, i guess. but she's kind of unbearable right now so i thought i could just get away or something. i dont know." she trailed off, looking down at her fidgeting hands as she told her. "but what about you? what is the great penelope park doing out this late at night? i've never seen you here before. i always thought this was my secret little place."

penelope was taken aback by that. _her secret place?_ this was definitely penelope's. "ah yes, one of lizzie saltzman's great meltdowns. i'm sure this school has seen or heard a fair share of those. no offense." she smiled at her before thinking about what took place before she came down here. "it's just one of those nights. i miss my mom, like a lot. and it just doesn't seem like she misses me back. every time i try to call her, it just seems like there's an excuse for her not to talk to me. whether she's busy with work or she wants to sleep instead of talk or something. i just thought being her only daughter, we would be closer and she would miss me. guess that isn't the case. whatever, i'm probably overreacting. it's not that big of a deal." penelope felt exposed after saying that, regretting what she said right away. she had never told anyone about her family, especially her mother. it had always been a sore subject since she was little. but as much as she felt exposed, she felt a weight lifted. she had never realized she held that all in until that moment. she shook her head and smiled once again, clearing her throat from the lump in her throat that had formed while recounting the story of her relationship with ehr mother. "also? this is most definitely not your spot. i came up with this spot, saltzman. i **planted** these flowers. if i could've, i would've made them put a plaque or something to signify this is **_my_** spot."

"none taken, don't worry. lizzie and i are very aware people know of her tantrums. at least no one points it out to her face." she shrugged and laughed a little. she zeroed in on penelope's facial expressions as she spoke. if you had just paid attention to her strutting down the halls of the school, you would have never thought this happened behind closed doors. penelope always seemed confident and happy, like life was always going her way. no one would've guessed different, but hearing the pain in her voice as she spoke made you see her different. josie reached out and placed her hand on penelope's shoulder, not hesitating that this might be uncomfortable for both of them as they weren't that close. all she knew was that penelope was obviously in pain, but just hiding it deep inside of her. "penelope, you're definitely not overreacting. trust me, i live with the most dramatic person ever and i know this isn't overreacting. i'm so sorry that it's like that for you and her.i would've never guessed, you just seem so content?" she shrugged, not wanting to say the wrong thing and upset her or diminish her feelings. "okay, park. i guess we have to start calling this our spot then. we can both share it." she smiled softly at her. 

hearing josie's words and feelign her comfort felt nice, like she was taking a breathe of fresh air for the first time. she had never had this before — comfort from someone who actually seemed to care. not just some therapist that was mandated to check on her and every other student in the school. but someone who genuinely cared and looked at her like a person and not just something to be feared. penelope felt as if she had known josie forever, like she could trust her with anything and everything. "you're the first person ive ever told that to. so thank you." she looked at her, still feeling josie's hand on her, not wanting her to move it. "yeah, i guess maybe we can convince your dad to put a plaque with both of our names or something." she joked.

"thanks for what?" josie asked, tilting her head. there was nothing josie did, just be there. if anything, josie should be thanking her for sneaking out on the same night she did so she didn't have to talk to the flowers or her journal about her problems once again. _**for being there.**_ josie laughed and shook her head at the girl's joke. it was a solid idea but not anything her dad would ever do, especially if he found out how it became to be their spot. he was very against breaking the rules there. 

"for being there."

josie's breathe hitched in her throat. it was as if she could read her mind. she nodded and looked back at the sky, as penelope did the same. they sat there in silence for a few minutes, neither wanting to interrupt the sounds of the crickets chirping and the brisk wind flowing between them and the garden. it wasn't until josie spoke that either of them looked away from the moon. "so penelope park, tell me more about yourself. now that i know the bad stuff, tell me about some of the good, before we get caught out here or something." she smiled and gazed at her, admiring how the moon hit her hair at the perfect angle. the night sky radiated off her skin and hair so perfectly, it was if josie was seeing one of the world's greatest wonders up close.

the two girls sat there for what seemed like hours, talking about their grades and how mystic falls people were the absolute worst and how they both had very traumatizing experiences falling out of tall trees when they were younger. they were learning so much about each other in such a short span, if an observer would watch them, it would seem as if they knew each other for years without bright their smiles shined to each other. they laughed at the dumbest jokes they told each other, even if it wasn't funny. eventually they grew tired and decided to lay down, talking. they didn't want to leave that moment; their place. 

"i want to show you something," penelope spoke as she pulled out her phone from her phone and headphones from her back pockets. she pulled up her spotify and typed in 'the night we met by lord huron.' "you did say you were into that soft type of music and shit," she laughed and handed one earbud to josie. they both laid flat on their backs and stared up at the sky as the first chords of the song began.

_i am not the only traveler_  
_who has not repaid his debt_  
_i've been searching for a trail to follow again_  
_take me back to the night we met_

_and then i can tell myself_  
_what the hell I'm supposed to do_  
_and then i can tell myself_  
_not to ride along with you_

_i had all and then most of you_  
_some and now none of you_  
_take me back to the night we met_

_i don't know what i'm supposed to do_  
_haunted by the ghost of you_  
_oh, take me back to the night we met_

_when the night was full of terrors_  
_and your eyes were filled with tears_  
_when you had not touched me yet_  
_oh, take me back to the night we met_

_i had all and then most of you_  
_some and now none of you_  
_take me back to the night we met_  
_i don't know what i'm supposed to do_  
_haunted by the ghost of you_  
_take me back to the night we met_

as the song ended, penelope looked over to josie, who had had her eyes closed. she smiled at the calmness that had washed over her face. she looked so happy and at peace. she was gazing so long, she didn't even notice josie had reached down and grabbed a hold of penelope's hand, keeping it in her grasp, grazing her thumb over penelope's.

"play it again."

and she did, over and over again. she didn't remember how many times. all she remembered from that night is that they listened to it until the sunshine peaked over the trees and they realized they needed to go inside before anyone else woke up. she gathered their things and walked back into the salvatore boarding school, hand in hand.

* * *

penelope had thought of that night a few times since they broke off. most of the time, it just came in dreams or in glimpses when she saw her in the halls. she had swore that she had seem that same peaceful smile on josie's lips as she talked to rafael, shattering her heart into a million pieces. but penelope didn't deserve any better. she had her and then lost her. she sat up and wiped the tear that managed to escape. how silly she was for crying over someone who didn't feel the same as she did. suddenly she heard a knock on the door. she sighed, figuring it was becca from lunch, who always managed to notice when penelope was gone and always made sure to bug her asking why she wasn't there. she stood up and started walking towards the door.

"becca, if that's you, i have told you time and time again that sometimes, i might just not want to have lunch with you. sometimes, i need my sp—," she opened the door to reveal the one person she never thought would be back here.

"josie?"

"can i come in?"

**Author's Note:**

> hello!! 
> 
> just want to say a quick thank you for reading this! this was my first fanfiction that i've written in years so i thought i would try it out once again with my new faves! i would love more feedback and if you guys would ever want any continuation/other fics after this! any feedback can be left in the comment or on my twitter @peneiopeparks and instagram @karclinadeans! 
> 
> \- annie


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